November 4, 2006

Chicago Finishes Fifth at UAA Championship

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- The University of Chicago volleyball team concluded its season with a fifth-place showing at the 2006 University Athletic Association Championship at Carnegie Mellon University. After losing three matches in pool play on Friday, the Maroons rallied to win a pair of matches on the final day of competition.

#13 Emory def. Chicago 30-20, 30-14, 28-30, 30-12 (Nov. 3)
The Maroons opened pool play with a four-game loss to 13th-ranked Emory University (24-9 overall, 7-1 UAA). Freshman outside hitter Diandra Bucciarelli (Del Mar, Calif./ Torrey Pines) led the Chicago attack with 10 kills.

#19 NYU def. Chicago 36-34, 30-14, 30-25 (Nov. 3)
In its second straight match against a top-20 foe, Chicago went down in three games to #19 New York University (31-4, 7-2). Sophomore outside hitter Kerry Dornfeld (Cary, Ill./ Cary) collected nine kills and six blocks in a losing effort.

Brandeis def. Chicago 24-30, 28-30, 30-26, 31-29, 15-11 (Nov. 3
In the final pool play contest, the Maroons won the first two games before dropping the next three in a five-game loss to Brandeis University (18-16, 3-7). Junior middle hitter Erin O'Neill (Peoria, Ill./ Notre Dame) clubbed a team-high 19 kills while hitting .533 (19-3-30). Sophomore outside hitter Katie Volzer (North Canton, Ohio/ Lake) hit 12 kills, and junior middle hitter Koryn Kendall (Napa, Calif./ Vintage) registered seven blocks.

Chicago def. Rochester 30-22, 30-26, 21-30, 30-23 (Nov. 4)
O'Neill set a Chicago match record with 12 block assists as the Maroons rolled past the University of Rochester (21-13, 3-8) in the consolation semifinals. She also hit 11 kills with a .455 percentage (11-1-22) to help give Chicago its first victory in 13 matches. Freshman middle hitter Anika Heavener (Telford, Pa./ Souderton) finished with 11 blocks, including 10 block assists. Bucciarelli and Kendall collected 15 and 13 kills, respectively.

Chicago def. Brandeis 23-30, 30-22, 30-21, 30-28 (Nov.4)
After losing to Brandeis on two previous occasions in 2006, Chicago (6-29, 3-9) rebounded to defeat the Judges in four games to secure fifth place in the UAA. Bucciarelli led the way with 13 kills to end the season with a team-best 288. O'Neill contributed nine kills, a .421 attack percentage (9-1-19), and eight blocks.

O'Neill, who returned to the Maroons' lineup after missing the 2005 campaign with an injury, finished the season with school records in block assists (130) and total blocks (162). She also led the team with a .247 hitting percentage.

Senior setter Nikki Sindy (Granger, Ind./ Penn) amassed 113 assists in the five matches this past weekend, ended her career atop the Chicago all-time assists chart with 3,146.

Chicago's fifth-place UAA finish matched its highest under sixth-year Head Coach Dorinda von Tersch and marked the Maroons' best UAA performance since they placed third in 1996.

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